Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 6:46:47 to 6:48:32
Oversight of security clearances and foreign interference risks within the department.
Topics: National security, Public service staffing
Speakers: Melissa Cashman, Hon Bridget McKenzie, Anita Langford, Senator Glenn Sterle
Well, we all have a we all have to have security clearance to work in the public service. Um uh Senator, we uh regularly fill out conflict of interest forms uh annually because we're in a regulatory space. we we comply with the uh Australian public service uh uh oversight rules there
>> and you're taking active steps to ensure that it's not the case >> other than just your APS paperwork when you take on the job or updating your conflict of interest stand you know that department officials working on this are free of foreign interference.
We follow all of the rules of the Australian public service senator. It's a very small team. I know them very well. Uh we all obviously have uh training on how to look or we have we over our time in the public service as we become more senior we we we become aware of looking for the uh way people conduct themselves in the workplace. Um
>> but I think I would say Senator that um the role of making sure that public servants security clearances are still appropriate um sits uh with the Australian government security vetting um organization and so clearly as managers as Miss Kashman mentioned we've got a responsibility to notice if anything seems arry and refer it um but we don't try to duplicate the role of
AGAR in any way. Well, the the go slow on this um is exceptional. Exceptional.
>> Okay, I'll flick across to Senator Pop. Take us through to 4:00 to the break.